


Someday, you'll return

by calcliffbas



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:00:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26722555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calcliffbas/pseuds/calcliffbas
Summary: Iroh has been a saint and a sinner, and he has walked this path before.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 35





	1. Air

**Author's Note:**

> The lyrics interspersed throughout this and following chapters are from Dire Straits, ‘[Brothers in Arms](https://open.spotify.com/track/0CzeAbfKFnxnWjwo5iYiCG)’.

The Avatar does not like onion and banana juice. That is understandable; Iroh remembers the taste with something rather less than fondness, himself. The Avatar also seemingly does not like the idea of letting go of love, which Iroh can also understand. Apparently, the young airbender has been spending some time with a guru at the Eastern Air Temple. It is a lovely spot, if memory serves Iroh well. But he does not like to dwell on these things.

His nephew chooses to side with Azula. He thinks he has no choice. Iroh looks away.

  


**_And you’ll no longer burn_ **

  


He is not as young as he used to be, and he finds it difficult to breathe at these high altitudes.

_You are only as old as you feel. I myself am sprightly!_

His son is young. Was young. Now, he is ageless.

Have you been here long?

_I forget when I came here. My home is in the lowlands._

They have that in common.

Ba Sing Se is mostly flat or low lands.

 _Deep breaths._ _It will pass_.

He does not want to hear it, firebending comes from the breath.

Firebending could not save his son.

_The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns._

His son has been stolen from him.

_Are you not at peace?_

They massacred his boy!

_How many sons have died in six hundred days, General?_

He wonders if he deserves this, then?

_The arc of the world bends always towards balance._

He cannot believe in balance. His son is dead.

_Did you not believe in the war, General?_

He never wanted this!

_What do you want?_

He wants his son.

But his son is covered in earth.

_What did your son want?_

His son had been hoping to go back on leave to talk to the swordsman about his cousin’s lessons.

_Another child growing up to wage war?_

What’s that supposed to mean?

_Will the young Prince follow in your footsteps?_

He cannot wish this pain on a boy.

_Or in your son’s?_

He cannot wish this fate on a boy.

 _The son shall follow the father, General_.

His son is gone, and he will have to follow him one day.

He has lost his son in Ba Sing Se.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘Look how they massacred my boy.’ – Vito Corleone, The Godfather  
> ‘The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns.’ - _A:TLA_ 2.9, ‘Bitter Work’  
> ‘The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice’ – Martin Luther King, Jr.


	2. Water

Fire Lord Azulon had suggested to Crown Prince Iroh that he join the Fire Nation Army; Iroh had known his father was not known for making idle comments, and so he had enlisted as a Lieutenant. His father had thought it would be good for him to see how the rank and file lived. So Iroh knows what the rules are for how prisoners are to be treated – even enemy combatants, and even traitors. He knows he is being treated dishonourably by his captors under Azula’s command.

He suspects Ozai’s involvement; his brother is a demanding father.

**_I’ve witnessed your suffering_ **

He is unused to the heat after so long away.

_We expect to make land in two days’ time, General_.

It has been a long journey.

_Are… are you pleased to be home, General?_

The land of his birth, but not the land of his home.

His home is in Ba Sing Se.

_Can I offer you a drink, General? Perhaps… I believe we have jasmine?_

Ash in his mouth and bitterness on his tongue.

He has grown used to the taste of salt these past months.

_Or perhaps a game of Pai Sho?_

His usual strategy failed in Ba Sing Se.

He lost everything.

_We are expecting a small contingent of guards as we dock, and they will honored to accompany you to the Palace, Your Highness._

He does not wants to be accompanied by guards.

He wants his _son_.

_Your Highness… despite our – well. Although we did not take Ba Sing Se, General, the people of the Fire Nation are still loyal to you._

Loyalty is so fleeting, a mist on the wind.

It is even a vapour, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

_I know it is not what you wanted, but… we who have served under you remain loyal to you, General_.

Six hundred days, he had their loyalty.

And for what?

_I’ll – I’ll go and inspect the hold again, General_.

He does not care for anything in the hold.

His Pai Sho partner is gone.

_We will be arriving in two days’ time, sir._

He is travelling home to the Nation in disgrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’ – The Epistle of James, chapter 4, verse 4. (KJV)


	3. Earth

It is not the nicest accommodation he has ever stayed in, but it is far from the most unpleasant in the Fire Nation. Though the cell itself is sunk into the ground, faint moonlight shines through the bars. As Zuko speaks, asks, rages, and begs, Iroh wonders whether his nephew understands yet. He has waited too long to tell him, and now he cannot tell him. He hates to leave his nephew in such a way, but he fears that he must.

Iroh cannot stay here much longer. He has something he must do.

**_There’s so many different worlds_ **

The Earth Kingdom is so different to the Fire Nation, but his campfire keeps him warm.

Fire is the same everywhere. So is earth, so is water.

So is air, he still hopes.

_Fire is life._

Not everything that is gone has truly passed away.

_We’re still connected to them._

He thinks this sounds like the Avatar’s words.

_You cannot have life without balance._

He is wary of talk of balance.

_What is balance, to you?_

Fire is the superior element. It is only right that the balance allows for this.

_Perhaps it is not balance you fear, but what you have been taught._

If fire was so superior, then how could he be so far from his son?

_Will you believe in balance, or will you hold to your beliefs?_

His son lies in the ground.

_Your grief shows your love_.

He has blood on his hands and sins on his soul.

_No other creature is so evil and wicked as man_.

How can he love when he has such darkness?

_Does the tiger seal show the otter penguin kindness? Does the tigerdillo share its nest with the turtleduck?_

He does not always act as he should act, nor love as he should love.

_Show me a man who does_.

His son is _gone_.

_Love does not blind itself to their faults, but loves enough to see past them_.

His son had laughed as the battles had raged and his enemies had cried.

_Evil and good is not a battle you can win, but even in the darkness, you must not despair._

He must keep fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any recognisable quotes are from _A:TLA_.


	4. Fire

His beloved son will never be far from Iroh’s mind. His son was tall and handsome, the crowning glory of the Fire Nation, and the pride and joy of his father. He had never stopped telling him, and he had never told him enough. His son was kind, and brave, and loyal, and he loved his cousins, and he was honorable, so honorable. Iroh had sometimes caught himself watching his son, wondering what glory lay in his gold-dusted future.

Zuko has been waiting in his tent all night to apologize.

**_every line in your palm_ **

He returns to the Palace with his beard a little longer, his hair a lot greyer.

_Welcome back, Prince Iroh_.

But the boy remembers him.

_I’ve really missed you – I saved all your letters._

His son had written many letters.

He had read the responses out loud, too.

_I wanted to write you a letter, but I… wasn’t sure what to say_.

He still does not know what to say.

_But I wanted to say that I miss him, too._

He misses him, he mourns him, he loves him.

_He was always really nice to me. This one time, he gave me a practice sword._

His brave son had been a soldier, and now he has returned alone.

_Uncle Iroh?_

He had been a father and a Prince.

He had been a father and a General.

_Father says he has an important meeting with a minister – I guess he’s been really busy recently._

If he could have one more moment with his son –

_But the turtleducks seem kind of sad since… since it’s only me around._

He understands what it is to be alone.

_I don’t think the mama likes me as much after I threw bread at their baby turtleduckling_.

He wonders if it is the curse of parents to love their children.

He has never felt a greater joy than in loving his son.

_Maybe they’d like it better if someone else came with me. Then they’d see I’m not so bad._

He remembers his son had liked the boy.

_And we could get some tea from the kitchens, too. If you wanted._

His son is in Ba Sing Se, and he will never leave.

But Iroh is here now, with Zuko.

**Author's Note:**

> ‘Look how they massacred my boy.’ – Vito Corleone, The Godfather  
> ‘The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns.’ - _A:TLA_ 2.9, ‘Bitter Work’  
> ‘The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice’ – Martin Luther King, Jr.


End file.
